How Substance Abuse Professionals Can Help You

Substance Abuse Professionals understand that millions of individuals struggle with substance misuse. A national survey on drug and substance abuse even reports that as of 2018, approximately 20.3 million people aged 12 and up have a substance abuse disorder. Individuals struggling with substance abuse likely find that their behavior impacts their personal and professional relationships and affects their overall health and well being.

The Need for DOT Drug and Alcohol Testing

The Department of Transportation (DOT) regularly requires drug and alcohol testing for safety-sensitive employees. This can include duties like:

  • Operating a commercial vehicle
  • Repairing transportation equipment
  • Performing repairs or maintenance to a pipeline
  • Acting as an airline flight or ground crew

Whether or not DOT drug and alcohol testing is necessary depends on the duties, rather than the title, of a position. If an employee performs safety-sensitive duties, they are required to undergo mandated drug and alcohol testing. Drug testing utilizes a urine drug test, while alcohol testing uses breath and saliva tests.

DOT drug and alcohol testing is typically conducted during pre-employment screenings, at random, when there is a reasonable cause, and before and after some accidents.

What Happens If You Have a Positive DOT Drug or Alcohol Test

If your DOT drug or alcohol test is positive, you’re immediately removed from any safety-sensitive functions. You may not resume safety-sensitive functions until you fulfill the return-to-duty process.

How Substance Abuse Professionals Help You Return to Work

To resume your safety-sensitive functions, you must complete:

  1. Seeing a Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) for a thorough evaluation. The SAP will evaluate your substance use and create a report that states their recommendations for treatment and/or substance abuse education.
  2. Complying with the treatment and/or education programs outlined by the SAP.
  3. Undergoing a follow-up evaluation with an SAP after complying to their recommended program. The SAP will determine if additional services are needed or if you’re ready to be considered for return to safety-sensitive duties.
  4. Submitting and passing a DOT return-to-duty drug test

A positive drug test doesn’t have to result in the end of your career with the DOT. Contact SAP Referal Services to locate substance abuse professionals that meet the DOT’s criteria. Connect with us today to enroll!